Known compressors for pressure ranges above 10 bar are typically 1- or 2-stage piston cylinder systems comprising a power-efficient electric motor and a design volume that is too large for micro systems.
Minimal compressors having a design volume of less than 1 dm3 are mostly diaphragm pumps with an electric drive. For such minimal compressors, maximum pressure ranges of up to 2 bar are indicated.
By contrast, there are piezoelectric micro diaphragm pumps comprising passive check valves having an installation space of only a few cm3. An exemplary micro diaphragm pump is known from DE 19719862 A1. Said micro diaphragm pump comprises a pump diaphragm that may be moved to first and second positions by a driving means. A pump body is connected to the pump diaphragm so as to define a pump chamber between them. An inlet opening and an outlet opening are provided with passive check valves, respectively.
However, known micro diaphragm pumps only achieve delivery rates of 0.02 l/min for water and 0.05 l/min with air, and the achievable pressures of micro diaphragm pumps are relatively small while having a maximum counterpressure (with compressible gas as the volume to be delivered) of about 400 hPa.